


Taking Care of You

by agentwashingcat



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Withdrawal, Fluff, Gen, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Qrow/Tai is mostly just background it's not super prominent here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentwashingcat/pseuds/agentwashingcat
Summary: Qrow has quit drinking, and is suffering through the effects of alcohol withdrawal. Thankfully, Ruby and Yang are there to help him through it. Takes place between v7ch2 and v7ch3.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen & Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 10
Kudos: 108





	Taking Care of You

Qrow groaned from where he was curled up on the bathroom floor. Every movement sent had his head pounding and his stomach threatening to throw up the little he’d eaten the night before. Alcohol withdrawal truly was a fucking bitch.

Even though he’d tapered off his drinking over the last few days, he wasn’t really surprised he was going through this. He had been drinking at an alcoholic level for almost 14 years, after all. That had to take a toll on you.

That didn’t mean he had to enjoy it, though. At the very least, the cool bathroom floor felt good for his aching head. The rest of him was shaking, but that might just be the withdrawal. 

Before he’d been quite this bad, he’d managed to lock his bedroom door, hoping to keep Yang and Ruby from seeing him like this. This was all for them, but it didn’t mean they needed to see the mess it took to get better.

“Told you he was in here.” 

Yang’s voice pulled him out of his head for a moment, and he squinted at the bathroom entrance. Her and Ruby were standing there, silhouetted by the light from the rest of his room.

“How’d you open the door?” he managed to croak out.

“Penny!” Ruby chirped, making him wince. “Oh, sorry!”

“Come on, let’s get him off the floor.”

“It’s nice on the floor,” Qrow objected, but he allowed them to pull him up anyway, squinting as the bright light of his room made his head spin and spiked his nausea. “Can we at least close the curtains?”

Ruby zipped around the room, and soon the room was in blessed twilight. Another moment and Qrow was lowered onto his bed. He let himself relax against the headboard. “I guess beds are nice too.”

Yang just shook her head, a fond smile on her face, reminding him of Tai so much he felt a pang in his chest. He hoped it was just longing for his husband and nothing worse. 

“What are you two doing in here anyway?” Not that he didn’t appreciate them coming to check up on him, but he had been trying to keep them from seeing the worst of it.

“Uh, taking care of you,” Ruby insisted. She had perched herself on the edge of his bed, and now climbed on fully to sit next to him. “You know, like you used to do for us, when we were sick.”

“We figured you were suffering from withdrawals and trying to go through it alone. As usual,” Yang added, sitting on the edge of the bed. “But you don’t have to, ya know?”

Qrow was struck by how incredibly kind and caring these two girls were. They certainly took after Tai and Summer, that was for damn sure. 

He wiped at the tears in his eyes, letting out a small laugh. “What would I do without you two?”

“You’d be dead in the wilderness somewhere,” Yang said cheerfully. 

“Probably.”

Ruby cleared her throat. “Um, not to interrupt, but we should get back on topic. When was the last time you ate?”

“Uh… last night.” And then he’d thrown it all up, which was why he hadn’t bothered to show for breakfast this morning.

Yang’s eyes widened. “Okay, I’m going to get you some food. And nausea pills?”

Qrow nodded, wincing. “And maybe something for my head.” Since he no longer had his nice cool floor to lay on.

“Got it, back in a jif. Ruby, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Yes ma’am!” Ruby mock saluted her sister as Yang left, settling in next to Qrow. 

“Where am I even going to go?” Qrow objected. He could barely see straight. Nevermind walk around getting into trouble.

Ruby shrugged. “Dunno. Oh, would you like me to read to you? I always liked when you did that.”

“Sure, there’s a book on the nightstand.” He hadn’t gotten very far, all things considered. “James lent it to me to keep me occupied.”

Ruby picked it up gently, opening to the first page. “Alright, here we go! Chapter one!”

Qrow relaxed further into his bed as Ruby read to him, her voice soft and soothing, the weight of her next to him helping to keep him grounded in the moment. It was just enough engagement to keep his mind off everything, while also not needing him to do anything. She couldn’t have done anything more helpful.

“Alright, I brought food,” Yang announced a while later, pulling Qrow out of Ruby’s reading. She placed a tray in Qrow’s lap. “Oatmeal. Should be easy on your stomach. Take the meds on the left first. Brought a water bottle, you shouldn’t be able to break it. Then after you eat, take the painkillers on the right.” 

“You’re just like you dad,” Qrow said fondly, taking the nausea meds before starting on the oatmeal. It was slow going, but he managed. And didn’t even make that much of a mess.

“Feeling better?” Ruby asked when he finished, looking at him earnestly.

“Yeah. I am, actually.” He smiled softly, ruffling her hair. “You guys are the best, you know that, right?”

“Well, dad isn’t here to look after you, so someone had to,” Yang teased, gently elbowing him in the ribs. “Whether you like it or not.”

“Now, more reading?” Ruby offered, holding up the book. 

“Yeah. I think I’d like that.” He settled in, marveling at how lucky he was to have these two. Tai, and the girls, they were all more than he deserved, and he was just so happy to have them in his life. It made everything just a little more bearable. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


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